The Israeli army attacks the Gaza strip and kills eight Palestinians, while in the West Bank a military operation in Nablus leaves 33 civilians injured. These stories and more coming up stay tuned.

The News Cast

Palestinian sources reported that the Israeli army started an offensive on Thursday morning, targeting Khan Younis town located in the southern part of the Gaza strip, and eight Palestinians have been killed. Dr. Moaiya Abu Hassanain, head of the Palestinian Health Ministry emergency department in the Gaza Strip, confirmed eight people were killed and 38 others wounded, among them five are in a critical condition. Five of those killed are from Fayyad family. They were killed after Israeli tanks shelled their home.



On Thursday morning Israeli tanks backed with helicopters invaded part of Khan Younis town and opened fire on residents' homes. Sources said that Burhom Abu Lihya, was found dead between the debris of destroyed houses, after the Israeli army withdrawal from the area. Meanwhile Al Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, reported that one of its resistance fighters Munier Barham, 23, was killed when Israeli helicopters fired six missiles at a group of resistance fighters posted in the town of Khan Younis. Medics said that 12 were injured, two critically. In eastern Gaza, an Israeli air strike killed resident Yasser Helles and wounded a number of others.

On Thursday afternoon in several parts of the coastal region, an Israeli army jet fighter attacked homes belonging to resistance fighters and destroyed five of them. Palestinian resistance groups in the Gaza Strip issued statements saying that they fired several home made shells into nearby Israeli towns on Thursday in response to the Israeli attacks. Israeli sources confirmed that two shells hit the town of Ashkelon causing damage but no injuries.

In the West Bank, the Israeli army started a military operation in the city of Nablus, troops attacked the old part of the city, searched homes and opened fire at local youth injuring 33 of them, five critically. From Nablus Dr. Ghassan Hamadan talked to IMEMC:



Also on Thursday the Israeli army attacked the West Bank cities of Ramallah, Hebron and Bethlehem and kidnapped 28 Palestinian civilians.

Conclusion

Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org. this report brought to you by Louisa White and Ghassan Bannoura.